After leaving the grain shop, Xu Huaiyi walked along the street with a solemn expression for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea before finding a pawnshop. The storefront looked quite grand, with a plaque bearing the three characters "Shenglong Pavilion."
He looked up and examined it for a moment before stepping inside.
The pawnshop clerk was idly wiping the counter with a cloth. Hearing the noise, the smile that had just appeared on his face quickly faded when he looked up and saw the visitor dressed in patched short clothes.
"What do you want?"
Xu Huaiyi didn’t mind the clerk’s snobbish attitude and nodded. "Is this a pawnshop? Can anything be pawned here?"
The clerk curled his lip. "Do you think this is a junk shop where we take anything worthless? Alright, this isn’t a place for people like you. Get out, don’t waste our time…"
As he spoke, he shooed Xu Huaiyi away, his face openly showing disdain and contempt.
Xu Huaiyi took a deep breath, silently reminding himself of his wife’s advice to avoid causing trouble outside. He managed to stay calm, though his voice turned icy, as if laced with shards of ice. "Don’t look down on the young and poor. How do you know I don’t have something valuable on me? Is this how your shop treats customers who come through the door—like beggars?"
The clerk was taken aback by his words. Meeting Xu Huaiyi’s cold gaze, he shrank back for a moment. "You… you…"
Just then, a middle-aged man walked out from the inner room. Dressed in a silk robe with a beard, he appeared dignified and serious, yet his eyes gleamed with shrewdness. He discreetly sized up Xu Huaiyi before asking the clerk, "What’s going on?"
The clerk bent over, nervously explaining, "Manager Yao, he… he said he wanted to pawn something, so I…"
Manager Yao understood immediately and waved his hand to cut him off. Turning to Xu Huaiyi, he said politely, "Sir, my clerk was rude."
Whether the apology was sincere or not, Xu Huaiyi accepted it graciously and replied with equal courtesy, "It’s nothing, Manager Yao. It was just a misunderstanding…"
Manager Yao grew even more puzzled. He had never seen someone like this before—dressed in patched clothes yet lacking any air of poverty, especially in demeanor. There was no trace of nervousness or unease; he carried himself as calmly as a young master from a wealthy family. Manager Yao’s attitude became even more cautious. "May I ask what you wish to pawn?"
Xu Huaiyi casually pulled a cloth bundle from his robe and handed it over. "Take a look first and tell me how much this is worth."
Manager Yao took it. Though curious, he didn’t think much of it. Having worked in the pawnshop for over a decade, he had seen all sorts of rare items and didn’t expect any surprises. However, as he unwrapped the layers of burlap and revealed the contents, his eyes widened in disbelief, and he nearly gasped aloud.
The clerk, lacking such restraint, blurted out, "Glassware?"
The exclamation snapped Manager Yao back to his senses. He instinctively covered the item with the burlap again, handling it with extreme care, as if afraid it might break. When he looked at Xu Huaiyi again, his expression was much more respectful, and he warmly invited him to a private room.
The clerk, realizing the situation, quickly followed suit, serving tea and water with attentive enthusiasm.
Xu Huaiyi remained neither humble nor arrogant from beginning to end.
After entering the private room, Shopkeeper Yao's eyes gleamed as he carefully caressed the glass ornament in his hand. The ornament wasn't particularly large—just a bit bigger than a palm. It was shaped like a horse, with its front hooves raised as if galloping at full speed, appearing exceptionally spirited and captivating.
In truth, the carving of the horse wasn't particularly exquisite, as it wasn't the work of any master artisan. However, its material made up for it—crystal clear and translucent, making it truly stunning.
It was also exceedingly rare.
Shopkeeper Yao couldn't bear to part with it, his heart racing almost uncontrollably. This was a treasure—a priceless gem. If he could present it through his own hands, then he…
After calming himself for a moment, he regained his composure and turned his gaze to Xu Huaiyi, silently pondering what price would be appropriate.
Xu Huaiyi calmly sipped from his teacup. His movements were neither as refined and elegant as those of the nobility, nor were they crude—simply natural and at ease.
Shopkeeper Yao had already made up his mind but couldn't resist probing further, "How much silver does the guest wish to pawn this for?"
Upon hearing this, Xu Huaiyi smiled with an honest and sincere expression, replying earnestly, "Of course, the more silver, the better. But in business, one can't just act on wishful thinking. A deal must satisfy both the buyer and the seller to succeed. So, why don't you make an offer first, Shopkeeper Yao? If I find it acceptable, we can exchange the silver and the goods right away. If not, we can discuss further…"
His words were straightforward, and he appeared honest, but Shopkeeper Yao didn't dare underestimate him. After a moment of thoughtful silence, he raised two fingers.
Xu Huaiyi blinked his large eyes, "Two thousand taels?"
Shopkeeper Yao, "…"
Was this man utterly desperate for money?
"Could it be twenty thousand?"
"Ahem…" Shopkeeper Yao choked, taking a few sips from his cup before catching his breath. He forced a dry laugh and said, "Please don't jest with this humble shop, sir. I meant two hundred taels…"
Xu Huaiyi let out a profound "Oh," and then fell silent.
The atmosphere in the room immediately grew tense.
In the end, Shopkeeper Yao was the first to lose patience and spoke again, "If the guest is unsatisfied, we can discuss further…"
Xu Huaiyi nodded readily, "Then let's discuss. How much more can you add, Shopkeeper?"
Shopkeeper Yao tentatively asked, "Fifty taels?"
Xu Huaiyi twitched the corner of his mouth. Was this an insinuation that he was a fool?
He remained silent, simply staring at Shopkeeper Yao.
Shopkeeper Yao steeled himself and declared as if taking a leap, "One hundred taels, no more. Any more, and this humble shop won't be able to afford it…"
Xu Huaiyi's ability to read people was still sharp. He could tell that the price could still be raised—it hadn't yet reached Shopkeeper Yao's bottom line. However, he decided not to push further. Too much silver could become a burden, and knowing when to stop was the wise choice.
Thus, after some careful consideration, he put on an expression of reluctant resignation and regret, saying, "Alright, three hundred taels it is. Sigh, what a loss. This glass is a priceless treasure, after all. If it weren't for my urgent need for silver, I would never…"
He left the sentence half-finished, leaving endless room for imagination.
Shopkeeper Yao indeed filled in the blanks with many assumptions. However, no matter how bold his guesses, he never imagined that this so-called "priceless treasure" was actually worth just a few dozen coins—converted to the present, roughly the value of a pound of wheat.
Of the three hundred taels of silver, Xu Huaiyi took two hundred and fifty in silver notes, with the remainder in actual silver. It was his first time seeing ancient currency, and he struggled to suppress the curious expression of a country bumpkin. Only after the transaction was completed and he had walked a fair distance away did he find a secluded spot to take out a silver ingot from his pocket and admire it.
The pawnshop had given him silver ingots, each weighing ten taels. He didn’t know much about their purity, but they gleamed brightly and felt pleasantly smooth and round.
No wonder dumplings were shaped like ingots—they truly were delightful to behold.